Muddying The View

Contemplating Big Muddy, and the family dynamic.         Photo: © Stan Banos

Actually... Big Muddy is the proper appellation for the Missouri River, not the Mississippi (ie- Ol' Man River) above. But here at the delta in New Orleans, looks like you couldn't go wrong with either.

Pretty much forgot about this image taken last summer, somehow discarded it as an almost- now, I'm downright captivated by the varying body language, individual gestures and unique juxtaposition of all concerned as they lose themselves in the moment. Safeguarding memories and experiences has always been one of the most primary of motives for the very existence of photography. Although I'm forever looking for a photo, I'm not always photographing- in fact, I rarely do. Even when I travel, I'm not going to photograph the Eiffel Tower just because it's the Eiffel Tower- there's already a gazillion postcards and Google photos of it already, I'm gonna experience its majesty live and in person. Now, should something unusual happen in front of, beside, or... when I turn around and look in the opposite direction- Snap! Otherwise...

One particular study concluded that people remember that which they photographed less than that which they didn't. But there's an inherent flaw to said study, the subjects were taking pictures basically to record and document details of the objects which they were assigned to observe. They weren't creating photographs, they were recording details for subsequent description/classification. Two very different purposes, two very different results. When you're simply documenting, you're free to dismiss once in the can. When you're photographing for something intrinsic you hold near and dear, well, there's a hella lot of thought going into the taking of that photograph (consciously, or not) and it's subsequent examination/evaluation. And often despite all the preparation in the world, you still ain't sure of what you got, until you look and contemplate afterwards- and maybe, as above... look and contemplate some more.